25 Best Thought-Provoking Books
We live in a very complicated world in which we do not have all the answers. We believe in the power of books to inspire our imaginations, challenge our perspectives, and help us learn. This list of thought-provoking books left us talking, debating, and wanting to learn more.
So grab a cozy spot, a hot cup of tea, and prepare to embark on a literary adventure like no other with these books that make you think.
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Thought-Provoking Books for Young Adults
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
Author: Isaac Blum
Year: 2022
Genre: YA Fiction
More info: William C. Morris Award Winner
Age Range: 12+
Plot
Hoodie Rosen and his Orthodox Jewish community have relocated to a new city to set up roots. But they aren’t feeling welcomed in their new home and are facing antisemitic acts both big and small daily.
As he grapples with his place, not just in the new town but within his own community, Hoodie meets and falls for the mayor’s non-Jewish daughter, Anna-Maria. His friendship with her sends shockwaves through his close-knit community and compounded with the antisemitism, it leaves poor Hoodie struggling with what it means to be a Jewish man.
Trigger Warnings
Antisemitism, Gun violence, Hate crime
Why Kirsten loves it
With antisemitism on the rise, this poignant novel is so deeply important. But more than that, Hoodie’s narration had me feeling as if I was inside the head of the 15-year-old boy who, while being an orthodox Jew, is just grappling with the worries and fears of every adolescent boy.
Find this book in: Books by Jewish Writers / Thought-Provoking Books / Coming-of-age Books for Teens / Books set in High School / Fun Books for Teens
The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Year: 2017
Genre: YA fiction
More info: National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Age Range: 15+
Plot
This fantastic and incredibly relevant young adult novel tackles the Black Lives Matter movement. Starr is straddling a line between two worlds. She attends a prestigious prep school where she is one of 2 black children in her grade but she lives in a poor neighborhood 40 minutes down the road.
She switches her personality so that she can fit in wherever she is, never truly being her whole self. When she witnesses her unarmed childhood best friend get killed by a policeman her entire life changes.
She needs to decide what to tell and to whom because her words can have dire consequences for her family and her community.
Trigger Warnings
racism, gun violence, police brutality
Why Kirsten loves it
Angie Thomas’s storytelling in this one was impressive. She was able to portray so many relevant topics in one book and put the reader in Starr’s shoes.
Why Jackie loves it
It’s a truly wonderful coming-of-age story from thought-provoking books set in high school that all young adults should read.
Find this book in: Thought Provoking Books / Best Audiobooks of all Time / Best Books Set in High School / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Coming-of-Age Books for Teens
The Sun is Also a Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
Year: 2016
Genre: YA Romance
Spice Rating:đź’‹đź’‹
Age Range: 12+
Plot
This National Book Award finalist is the story of Natasha and Daniel. They meet 12 hours before Natasha and her family are deported to Jamaica. Where will their story take them? You can’t fall in love in 12 hours, can you?
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Deportation, Suicidal thoughts
Why Jackie loves it
This Young Adult novel is smart and well-written. I loved reading it. Yoon has done something very difficult with this book. She switches back and forth between a few different narrators and still manages to maintain the flow of the story.
Find this book in: Coming-of-age Books for Teens / Books Set in New York / Thought-provoking Novels / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Fun Books for Teens / Best YA Romance Books
Plot
Aza is a 16-year-old who, along with her best friend, is searching for a lost billionaire to get the reward money. Along the way, she finds Davis, the billionaire’s son, and her childhood friend. While trying to be the best she can be, she ignores the rising level of panic and anxiety that is tightening it’s grip on her.
Trigger Warnings
Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self-harm
Why Jackie loves it
Love, loss, and resilience are all themes in this book that captured my heart and kept me reading until the last page.
Find this book in: Thought-Provoking Books / Coming-of-age Books for Teens / Books about Mental Illness / Books With Neurodivergent Characters
The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Year: 1993
Genre: Science Fiction
Age: 13+
More info: The Giver #1, Newbery Medal Winner
Plot
Set in a dystopian world, the main character Jonas is special because he is the Receiver. In his idyllic community, he is the one who holds the secrets. As he meets with the Giver to receive the secrets and learn about life before his community began, his eyes are opened to the kind of world he is living in and just how different it is to the way the world used to be.
Trigger Warnings
Child death, Death, Suicide
Why Kirsten loves it
This classic book for kids is one of the most influential novels of our time and one of the best sci-fi books ever written. I vividly remember the ending of this story and how emotional I got while reading it as a preteen in school. The movie is not my favorite adaptation, but it’s also worth watching.
Find this book in: Books Like the Hunger Games / YA Dystopian Novels / Coming-of-Age books for Teens
Plot
This magical realism book is narrated by Death. Death tells the story of Liesel, a young girl in Nazi Germany in 1939. Liesel is living with her foster parents and learning to read from stolen books. She also shares these books with the Jewish man who is hiding in her basement.
Trigger Warnings
Death, Antisemitism, War
Why Kirsten loves it
This book is a brilliant, powerful, poignant, and unforgettable look at Nazi Germany. It’s becoming part of many school curriculums for good reason. I’ve never read a story that encapsulates life for ordinary children during this harrowing time in history.
Find this book in: WWII Books for Kids / YA Historical Fiction Books / Books about the Holocaust / Coming-of-age Books for Teens
Thought-Provoking Books: Fiction for Adults
Push by Sapphire
Push is a look at life in the poverty-stricken streets of Harlem in the eighties. The main character is an illiterate 16-year-old pregnant with her second child by her father.
The commentary on a life of poverty and the struggles to get out of her situation are horrific but inspiring. It is incredibly difficult, but such a worthwhile, thought-provoking book.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn GreenwoodÂ
This highly controversial book and thought-provoking book was awarded Book of the Month Club Book of the Year 2016 and Second Place in Goodreads Best Fiction of 2016. Â
This is an unlikely love story between the daughter of a drug dealer and one of her father’s thugs.  I found it to be a disturbing, extremely well-written, and thought-provoking book.
People either love or hate this book because of the difficult subject matter. Either way, you are sure to feel something when you are done reading it. This is one of the books that will make you think, long after you have finished reading the last page.
The Vanishing Half
Author: Brit Bennett
Year: 2020
Genre: Literary Historical Fiction
More info: June 2020 GMA Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 16+
Plot
The premise of this book set in the 70s is so unique. Two black sisters are so pale they can pass for white. One embraces her black heritage and her hometown, the other disappears into white suburbia. When they meet up again 20 years later through their own daughters, the result is a stunning portrayal of the ties that tether us to our families.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Domestic Abuse
Why Kirsten loves it
I adored Bennett’s debut book The Mothers so I was nervous to read her sophomore novel. Sometimes the next novel doesn’t live up to the first, but The Vanishing Half absolutely does with this wonderful and thought-provoking book.
Adaptation Information
Issa Rae is producing the movie adaptation of this book for HBO.
Find this book in: Books Becoming Movies / Thought-Provoking Books / Books Set in the 70s / Books About Sisters / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Family Drama Books / Beach Reads 2021
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
February 2018 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
I can see why there are so many people that loved this book. From the very beginning, there were so many things that made me anxious while reading this book, my heart was pounding. Some of the anxiety was for the right reasons (I knew he would be wrongly convicted) and some of the anxiety was for the wrong reasons (the cavalier way Roy talked about his marriage).
The book is well-written and delves into the complexities of love, marriage, and relationships. It is one of the most thought-provoking books on this list.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
When a boat sinks in the Pacific, the only survivors are a 16-year-old boy named Pi, an orangutan, a hyena, a Bengal tiger, and a zebra. And while this book was written less than 20 years ago, it is already a modern classic.
This is not a sailing novel that once read can be forgotten. I know that some people look at the story as an extended metaphor in which each animal represents a person but personally, I like the book exactly the way it was written, one of the best magical realism books I have read.
There is magic in the pages of this book in all meanings of the word. First, read this book, then, rethink everything. This is a perfect example of a thought-provoking book because no two people view it the same way. If you are looking for animal fiction books, this one is a must.
Ultimate List of Contemporary Fiction
Love thought-provoking books? We do too! You can find more on this list of books, carefully divided by genres.
Non-Fiction Thought-Provoking Books
Plot
This is an amazing recount of Jeanette Walls’s upbringing and childhood. She is a successful journalist and writer living in New York City. Her parents also live in New York; however, they choose to be homeless. Jeanette Wells’s upbringing was unconventional and her parents did not offer her a structured childhood.
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism, Child abuse
Why Jackie loves it
This is a fascinating memoir that reads like fiction. It gives a unique perspective to mental illness from a close family member. Wells is able to do this without blame and with love and respect respect for both her parents.
Find this book in: Thought-provoking Books / Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Books about Poverty / Books like Where the Crawdads Sing / Best Nonfiction Books
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skoot
As I read this book, I was absolutely stunned. With each page I kept thinking to myself “This can’t be true” and yet, somehow, in the 1950’s an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks unknowingly had her cells taken. These cells, known as HeLa, were the first human cells that lived outside the human body and could reproduce indefinitely.
HeLa cells became the basis for medical breakthroughs from the creation of the Polio vaccine to cancer and AIDS research. To this day, nobody in the Lacks family has ever received compensation for her contribution to medicine and they cannot afford health insurance.
Years later, I still think about this book- you cannot ask for a more thought-provoking book.
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
I read this book about poverty in college and I still think of it today. For one year, Barbara set out to live off minimum wage at the lowest-paying jobs in America.
Over the course of the year, she is a hotel maid, a waitress, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aid, and a Wal-Mart associate. Her stories of the conditions she lives in and what people need to do to get by on the poverty line fundamentally changed the course of many people’s thinking over the years.
It shows how hard people are working for minimum wage and how little those salaries get you. This is one of those books that make you think about what is wrong with what we value in this country.
Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman
The book outlines her life, her struggles, and the people who took advantage of her good nature. I couldn’t put it down! The splendor of her life reads like a soap opera and the photos of her homes included in the book are jawdropping.
Empty Mansions reads like a novel for sure. Huguette Clark’s life was one of opulence and riches, but she died a recluse with a $300 million dollar estate and a vast number of decrepit homes in her portfolio.
When it comes to books like Downton Abbey, this one is a hit if it’s the house itself you are most interested in and it is definitely one of the books that will make you think about it long after you have finished it.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
While this is about the start of the FBI and its role in solving the brutal Osage murders in the 1920s, it also tells the story of the exploitative, disgusting treatment of the Osage tribe. It was shocking to read about the brutal way the Osage were manipulated – from the overcharging of goods to the corruption of the justice system, to flat-out murder, this is a stark, eye-opening story of our country’s racist roots.
Why We Like it: I read this non-fiction book before it became a movie. The plot is juicy and thought-provoking. It was hard to believe I was reading a true story, the plot twists and characters came to life in a cinematic way.
Find this book in Books set in the 1920s / Thought-Provoking Books
Ultimate List of Non-Fiction Books
If you love these thought-provoking books, you can find more in this list we created especially for you.
Sci-fi Books That Make You Think
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
I won’t say how many years it has been since I read this book. But I will tell you that I haven’t forgotten any of it. It is one of those thought-provoking books that will have you thinking about it for years to come.
Set in a future in which all humans are genetically bred to uphold a particular place in society without question, the cost has been freedom in all aspects of the word.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Author: Margaret AtwoodÂ
Year: 1985
Genre: Dystopian
More info: A hit series on Hulu
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read.
She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant because, in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable.
Offred remembers when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge, her husband Luke, and her daughter But all of that is gone now….
Trigger Warnings
Dystopian, lack of women’s rights
Why Jackie loves it
This dystopian novel is scary because of how convincing it is. There is a reason this novel by Canadian Author, Margaret Atwood, has won awards. It will make you think differently about everything.
Find this book in: Thought-Provoking Books / Book Adaptations on Netflix / Dystopian Novels / Epistolary Novels
Historial Fiction
Plot
I picked up this book based on the cover and the thoughts of the hula dance competition, but instead of the fun read I was expecting, I got a coming-of-age story about a light-skinned Hawaiian trying to prove she belongs by learning to Hula.
But this Hula isn’t just a dance, it keeps the legends and legacies of the Hawaiian culture alive. Sprinkled throughout this story, while Hi’i is fighting to prove her worth, we see glimpses of her mother and grandmother’s lives and vignettes that explain Hawaii’s history, colonization, and the struggle of native Hawaiians today.
Why Kirsten loves it
There is so much to uncover in this book, so many layers to absorb. I was entertained while reading it, but more importantly, I learned so much. I’ll be raving about this for years to come!
Find this book in: Thought-provoking Books / Beach Reads 2023 / Best Books 2023 / Best Female BIPOC Author / Family Saga / Best Beach Reads of All Time / Coming-of-age Books for Adults
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
August 2016 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
I loved this book and it was one of the first reviews we ever did on the blog. I love the way this book examined the underground railroad with a touch of magical realism. If you are looking for thought-provoking books, look no further.
The story is about Cora and Caesar, two run-away slaves in the South who run away to the underground railroad which, in this book, is an actual railroad.
Each stop along the way is reminiscent of a different place in history and it is interlaced with actual ads placed for runaway slaves. This book is profound and beautiful and a must-read.
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Based on the true story of New York socialite, Caroline Ferriday, this fictionalized account of the war is told from three perspectives.
The novel alternates between Caroline in New York, Kasia, a Polish prisoner, at Ravensbruck, and Herta, the only female doctor at that same camp.
Herta’s perspective, she was a real doctor at Ravensbruck, was particularly fascinating to read. Hearing her thoughts left a deep impact since authors rarely write from the perspective of the Nazi party members. That perspective makes this novel unique among these books about WWII and is truly a thought-provoking book.
Find this book in Books About WWII / Books Set in France / Thought Provoking Books / Books With a Color in the Title / Holocaust Books
Ultimate List of Historical Fiction
Love these thought-provoking books? We do too! Check out more in this list carefully divided by time period.
Thought-Provoking Books for Book Clubs
Plot
This is the first adult novel by Nicola Yoon and it did not disappoint. Jasmyn and King Williams move to the Black Utopia of Liberty community, hoping to find a safe place for their family. Jasmine is a public defender who knows too well what can happen to Black boys who encounter the police and King will always feel the loss of his brother who was killed by the police.
King settles in right away but Jasmyn has trouble connecting with the women in the community who seem more concerned with booking treatments at the Wellness Center than the world’s troubles. Jasmyn cannot find anyone to join a community chapter of Black Lives Matter. When Jasmyn discovers the truth about the community, she wonders if it will destroy her.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Police Brutality
Why Jackie loves it
This book is a commentary about the world we live in and the dichotomy between those who care about social issues and those who prefer to believe things are not happening. This is a thought-provoking book that will leave you with questions at the end.
Find this book in: Ultimate List of Best Beach Reads 2024 / Best New Thrillers of 2024 / Best Thought-Provoking Books
The Measure
Author: Nikki Erlick
Year: 2022
Genre: Sci-Fi
More info: July 2022 Read With Jenna Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. One day everyone over the age of 22 wakes up to find a string on their doorstep. It’s soon clear that the length of one’s string determines the length of their life.
Soon short stringers are being discriminated against around the globe which begs the question – what is the true measure of a valuable life?
Why Kirsten loves it
This would be a fabulous book club book. There is so much to talk about. Don’t let the fact that this is a sci-fi book deter you if it is not your usual genre.
Find this book in: Best Books for Book Clubs / New Dystopian Novels
The Husbands
Author: Chandler Baker
Year: 2021
Genre: Mystery
More info: August 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Ladies, get your book clubs geared up for Chandler Baker’s newest novel. It’s part mystery, part social commentary, but it’s the latter that packs a punch in this contemporary fiction.
Baker examines the mental load that women carry as wives and mothers, particularly working women, and how it differs from what society expects of men.
Murder in the desirable Dynasty Ranch neighborhood has lawyer and prospective buyer, Nora, looking into what happened. With all the Stepford-style husbands she is meeting, she’s starting to wonder what kind of place Dynasty Ranch is after all. You will have such a great discussion about this book about motherhood.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a perfect book for book clubs, it is such a thought-provoking book. You will have such a great discussion about this book about motherhood, family, and societal expectations.
Adaptation Information
Kristen Wiig is set to produce and star in the movie adaptation of this popular story!
Find this book in: Good Morning America Book Club / Books Becoming Movies / Thought-Provoking Books / Books About Mothers and Motherhood / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read
Classic Thought-Provoking Books
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
This book is another one of my favorite books I read in high school and this thought-provoking book also happens to be a short one. George and Lennie have stuck with me for the last 20-plus years.
There is something about Lennie’s innocence that is haunting. There is a moment (if you have read it, you know what I am talking about) that makes this book unforgettable. I re-lived this book again this year when my son read it in middle school.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Bradbury’s dystopian classic is one of the most well-known pieces of modern literature but I hadn’t read it! I don’t usually gravitate to books like this, but I had heard so many people speak about the relevancy of this novel today.
It’s so true. This sci-fi book offers a grim look at our future if our society continues down the road of this technology obsession we seem to have. If you liked 1984 or The Circle, you will devour this thought-provoking book.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Year: 1960
Genre: Classic Middle Grade Fiction
Age: 12+
More info: Pulitzer Prize Winner
Plot
This coming-of-age novel is about Scout, a young girl whose father, Atticus, is a lawyer in her Southern town. As she grows, she realizes the prejudices within her town – culminating in her watching a trial as her father defends Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Rape
Why Kirsten loves it
This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was also made into an Academy Award-winning movie. I still remember learning about this book in seventh-grade English. It’s a powerful novel everyone should read.
Why Jackie loves it
I cannot count the number of times I have read this book. It is a coming-of-age book that was ahead of its time and is even more relevant today.
Find this book in: Coming of Age Books for Teens / Realistic Fiction / Thought-Provoking Books / Fun Books for Teens
What are the most thought-provoking books?
1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
4. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
5. Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes
What are some easy-to-read thought-provoking books for my book club?
These are some easy-to-read and thought-provoking books for book clubs:
1. Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
3. The Measure by Nikki Erlick
4. The Husbands by Chandler Baker
What do you think of our thought-provoking books?
We wanted to include some books on this list that are unique. Each of these thought-provoking books will make you think long after you have finished the last page. Do you have more suggestions for us?
Mad Honey should be added to this list.
Great suggestion!